So far apart but always in his heart!
There are many fans, myself included who thought that even though Arsene Wenger had left the club, he would still have a big part to play in their future, but that does not seem to be the case.
Talksport has managed to get an insight into Wenger’s talk to Sky Sports where he has repeatedly stated that once he left he wanted to distance himself from the club in order to give the staff and players a new lease of life where they could then begin to create a new meaning for the club rather than just associate Arsenal to him at all times.
It is a fair point of course, but I always thought once he left, he would take up an upstairs role in the boardroom somewhere, as Sir Alex Ferguson did when he left Manchester United. But despite him keeping his distance he has refused to rule out ever returning to the club that evolved under him and made him who he is as he did to the club, although he hasn’t put a time frame on the return, telling Sky Sports:
“I don’t know but I don’t rule it out. It’s not painful. I felt that it was better to take a complete distance with the club and let people get on with it. It’s still my club, it’s still my love. I still suffer when we don’t do well and I’m happy when we do well. When I speak about Arsenal it’s still we, we, we, we.”
So, despite giving the new coaching staff a chance to “get on with it” it is clear to see that his love for the club has never and will never die. From my point of view too it is a feeling in which I share, when it comes to Arsene Wenger, even though he is not our manager anymore, I have and will always love and respect him and I hope he does return sooner rather than later no matter what position he returns in. Gooners?
Shenel Osman
Yes of course, just not as manager
I think he has given a very good reason of staying away. If you are talking about him coming back to work that depends on the yet unknown reasons for his departure.
What a question! To do what if I may ask ?
We are still clearing the mess left by this deluded man.He gave Ozil the ridiculous wages and let sanchez to go on free transfer.Infact why is the club investigating other people and leaving Wenger,Ozil himself said he had negotiations with Wenger on his contract.Who was Wenger before Arsenal,let Arteta also be he will be successful than Wenger.Forget that fluke unbeatable season if Wenger mastered it he would have respeated it.Ozil is nothing to those who matter at arsenal he will be paid but will never kick a ball in our colours
Well, managers don’t have any say in contract negotiations, they can tell those people in charge of that if they want to keep the player etc etc.
Wenger never gave Ozil the contract!
@Lord.
That is a bit harsh on Arsene.😊
I still have much admiration for him.
Ungrateful and disrespectful to our greatest manger and all he Did for our club show some respect
You have just emptied all I have in mind concerning Ozil. Thanks for doing that.
Though, I would expect Wenger to come back to the club he’d spent almost all his coaching career with but he should be given specifications concerning his role because even though he is our most sucessful manager in our history but he became more of a mediocre manager in his latter years with our club; he is still a valuable asset in the round leather game and a respected figure in the football family all over the world.
He will still play a big role in our success maybe off the pitch.
sad reality mate
Arteta won’t come close to what Arsene Wenger did
Oh and by the way before Arsenal
Arsene Wenger had won trophies in France and Japan so just because your knowledge is poor doesn’t mean you speak for the whole of us
That ‘ fluke ‘ season. Now most of us think not losing a game all season is difficult to do ( hence it’s happened once)
Lets go by your criteria that if he was that good he would have done it twice
So what about Sir Alex, Pep , Klopp, Jose , your precious Arteta who managed it 0
The whole points argument is flawed as well.
If Arsenal had lost earlier in the season but had won the Prem with 5 games to spare, that’s 5 games they might win without the pressure of staying unbeaten
Even if you don’t like the untouchable season he still won 3 Prems and 7 FA Cups
In fact since he’s left we have gone backwards
We finished 8th and won an FA Cup and that’s enough to say Artea will better the greatest manager in our history ?
It’s funny , when we finished 4th with Wenger it wasn’t good enough but now you would laud Arteta if he did the same
At least your giving Arteta time before you condemn him, right? I have much respect for Wenger, and he’s getting a proper statue to show appreciation. Let’s not forget the slide down began on his watch, and he was unable to correct the downward slide.
Let’s give Arteta time with the players he needs for his system like Wenger had.
Also, let’s not forget this is a much more competitive league now than it was during many years of Wenger’s time. It’s not a 4 horse race anymore; Everton, Wolves, Leicester, to name a few are legit fighting for spots in the top 4, not to mention both Manchester clubs, Chelsea, Liverpool, and spuds (unfortunately).
Wenger was a class guy no doubt, but a degree of ruthlessness is needed now; players dropped who don’t perform and players moved on who are clearly not good enough to fight for top honors in the league.
I like Arteta but if your going to compare him to Wenger
hows League more competitive ?
how many were in title race last year ?
1?
Arteta should not be mentioned in the same sentence as Wenger at this juncture. Arteta may yet become a great manager for us, but he needs to deliver consistent top four performances, win the league etc. before any comparison is made. People quickly forget that even R. Martinez won the FA cup with Wigan against a great City side. We should stop hyperboles about Arteta. Just give him time to prove himself. And if he is successful, I doubt he will stay if say Barca come calling. Just saying.
👍
Excellent post Ahmad. Que Sera Sera.
Ahmed, what you forgot to mention as well though, was the fact that when Barca came clling for Arsene ( along with RM, Bayern, PSG, Manure etc etc ) he stayed put because of his love for the club – what makes you think that Mikel hasn’t got that same passion?
At the moment, he is doing a blueprint of AW’s first year and I believe he will stay at the club he undoubtedly loves for as long as he is supported and wanted.
Dan I knew Wenger won a trophy with monaco before moving to japan, the fact is he was Arsene who? when he joined Arsenal.It is the same fans who pushed him out of the club by protests that now pretend he’s our Messiah.When I remember Wenger I remember the trophy drought before thinking of the unbeaten season.And who signed him after he left arsenal if he was that good,he keep lying about job offers yet no big club admitted to be interest in him.
so apart from 10 trophies in 22 years
2 in France and 2 in Japan
only man going undefeated in Prem season
he lost in 6 finals , so 16 out of his 22 seasons he was competing for honours ]
did that with a net spend smaller then rivals beautiful football and made stars like viera , henry , etc
all of that Arteta will do better then based on finishing 8th and winning a Cup?
Difficult to do? Going whole season unbeaten is impossible! The great Arsene achieved the impossible.
Deluded Mr Denning. Wenger managed the ‘INVINCIBLES’! Fluke????? You are not the brightest bulb. You obviously know nothing about them. So what type of supporter are you?
Managers can recommend but do not negotiate on the contract…..
The CEO or director of football has to approve all finances and budget
Cashley Cole has already said in the media it was Dein who negotiate and made the offer on his contract
Wenger will be charged and placed behind bars if he spend or touched any unapproved funds
Go get a job and you will know!!
😀😀😀
As a supporter (and the crowd would welcome him with more love than even Henry got), but not in any other capacity.
Possibly also as a pundit or commentator.
or as the new Gunnersaures?
He can be on the pitch with the fans, players, coaches, all who are dear to him. After all did he not make us laughing stocks for the past 10 years if not more?
yeah , thank god we swapped him for nights like Baku or our worst finish in 25 years
Before nights like Baku, we were getting thumped 8-2, 10-2 on aggregate, 6-0 etc etc. So what are you saying. At least the baku man got us to the final in his first season, something wenger struggled to do.
That is not to say wenger was not our greatest manager so far. He is and I have nothing but respect for him and what he achieved but some of our most woeful years were under him as well. I dread to think of where we might be if he was still here
Kstix, if you think our most “woeful years” were under Arsene Wenger, you must have only been around the club for a little while – if that’s the case, then fine.
Can I suggest you look at where the club were finishing before his twenty years of top four finishes?
I said some Ken, not our most, some of them
Yes, ken a short history lesson on the Arsenal would help some people. I am surprised Kstix made that comment, as he is normally quite rational.
Whoa man calm down! The amount of disrespect, SMH!
No, never. Would be a distraction and frankly, bloody nuisance. Media would look for opportunities to create division. Managers inhibited. Plus some of his utterances have been somewhat senile
As someone who adored AW for a decade and then increasingly became disillusioned with his managership in thr final several years, I would LOVE to have this superb human being, with all his worldy wisdom, great humanity and LOVE of AFC on board as OUR OWNER. THAT WOULD BE MY DREAM.
People of HIS humanity, wisdom and love of our club do not come along often. In THOSE matters he is, by a country mile, the greatest manager this club has ever had.
In pure success of trophies, pro rata to years at the club and considering what he inherited, it has to be George Graham. But the greatest builder from scratch and the man who made us a worldwide name – we had NEVER won a single major honour at that time in 1925, when he came – MUST still be HERBERT CHAPMAN.
No reflection on those who came after HC, but they all started from us already being a household name but HE did not!
jon, all he has to do, just like the rest of us, is come up with a spare £2 billion plus, to make an offer to buy the Club.
👍
not true Jon
Arsene Wenger literally is the most successful manager in our history
even in your pro rata argument
in his 9 years with Arsenal ( and remember he was sacked which isn’t great)
George Graham won 6 major trophies
in his first 9 years , Arsene Wenger won 7
if we are counting centenary trophies and charity shields , etc
it then reads
Graham – 8, Wenger 11
in those 9 years wenger won 1 more title and more FA Cups
Got us to our only Cl Final
Never finished outside top 4 and went unbeaten
so nothing measurable shows that George Graham had a better first 9 years
Also he did build a completely new back 4 which played in the invincible team so all his success did not come from inheritance.
Wenger would have done a better job if he got better signings to improve the squad if Dein was still around Or he has Raul to negotiate better deals
Even Mislintat can bring him better players and players he need…..
Wenger can attend matches anytime he likes.
He can visit Arsenal anytime he likes.
I used to be one of Arsenes biggest fans and defenders but my goodness, looking back what a dinosaur of a manager he has become. Stuck in his ways, never accepted change or evolving with the times etc..
Love and have so much respect for Wenger but what a waste during his later years at the Emirates.
Maybe. But right now he is trying to change some football rules, which is adapting or bringing about change( or trying to), wont you agree?
Someone just said that the invincible season was a fluke…what an idiotic statement from a certain know-nothing nobody
I liked Arsene Wenger. Arteta is too ruthless to my liking. He does not have any feelings for his players, only the ones he has signed!
If MG does not return to Arsenal after the year away then I will not think Arteta is a good manager at all.
He didn’t sign Ceballos, Emery did..
He constantly played Guendouzi before his hot headedness.. Emery signed him
He didn’t sign Luiz yet he played constantly b4 resigning him..
He didn’t sign Tierney.. Emery did..
He didn’t sign Xhaka..
He didn’t sign Elneny, even tho many thought he’s finished..
He signed Cedric but Bellerin still plays ahead..
He didn’t sign Leno..
So whats ur point?
Emery didn’t sign anyone, because as head coach he was expected to coach the players the then “gang of four” bought for him.
Arteta is a good manager but he lacks of experience…
hes doing the basics and he will get there soon….
he needs support to get the players he wants to build the team
we have a very talented team just lack of some experience heads….
build and form the core/backbone of the team and we can start winning titles again
Little man !!😂😂😂😂
Fair play mate you have just made yourself look bloody stupid with that comment above .
you’re also a little man hadly a mandela
Cheers mate 👍😂
It’s getting a bit heated isn’t it?
As I said on an article before I have love and disappointment in him.
There’s no doubt he has the love for AFC and the desire to see us at the top of the tree again but he was stubborn and was a dinosaur (I thought he was Gunnersaurus. Only kidding) when football was evolving around him.
I have mellowed in my view of him and wouldn’t be against him returning but not as a decision maker. Some of his ideas are a bit out there and we don’t need someone unsettling things by forcing their opinions on the new set up.
Maybe a mentorship role for the youth players or an ambassador for the club.
The women’s game in whole needs a shake up. He could be the person to take the ladies team to the next level
I was not kind in my reply,I have been pushed to the wall by contributors who I have replied to, only cavemen who do not know everyone is entitled to his opinion however flawed
It’s the tone of your comments Lord Denning that have set you apart in this debate not the right to express your opinions
Where is their golden trophy?
To my dismay there are some seriously angry juveniles posts on this thread. These are precisely the type of people who I always hope do not read my comments, as I always hope to reach people with some intellectual capacity, even if they are angry.
Jon, this so called Lord Denning is the kind you describe I believe.
We all have our views on Arsene Wenger and your reasons for wanting him back at the club sums him (and you in most cases 🤔) perfectly.
I don’t believe Arsene would ever want to be The Arsenal manager again, just look and listen to him and see how relaxed and happy he is today.
He would be a wonderful Ambassador for our club – he is respected throughout football and is as passionate about our club as you or I.
What is so laughable is the comment that the Invincible season was a fluke – one can tell just how much they know about football and the players involved in that team.
They claim to be Arsenal fans… they haven’t a clue and I can only believe they are trolls from another club.
By the way, for me it has to be Norris, Wenger/Dein and then HB, but that’s just a personal preference.
Ken when read your comment I don’t see any Sense of self importance,thank you very much but stop calling me a troll. I’m wearing arsenal shirt as I type this.If I was told to name the intellectuals I Know Jon fox wouldn’t appear even on the footnote
KEN At last an emoji from someone that I can actually understand, so touche on that my friend!
I would agree on Sir Henry and DD but I was only addressing our managers, which was thre reason THEY were not there. You could also put Bob Wall and Ken Friar both very high on any non managerial or non player lists of greatest Arsenal people. As for AW being an ambassador, in a broad sense he is already. This is too piffling a job for him though with greatest respect to such as Ray Parlour, Paul Davis ETC.
iI really would LOVE AW back as our owner and that would be Heaven for our club. As owner he could set direction of travel given his world wide status and do so much for all football worldwide. If he could simultaneously be FIFA chief foo so much the better. But as a realist, I know he will not come back inperson though his heart remains as always.
I know that YOU. though not many others , who know my past views on his managership, will properly understand WHY I write as I DO.
As you too put Sir Henry at the very top, I know you will agree that the owner of a club is always more influential, not greater but more influential, than any manager. The only exception to this was under AW, pre Kroenke and even after!
Hopefully before too long SK will be no more than a 13-15 year long nightmmare.
Did he say he hates now, reasons he doesn’t come to watch our games, he is waiting for us to fail, so NO
Waiting for us to fail? I don’t understand your point. It’s not like we have succeeded after his departure.
Amazing how articles about Arsene Wenger polarise the readers. Do the words ‘click’ & ‘bait’ have any relevance here?
Oh sorry Jax, I’m sorry I thought this site was called JustArsenal. Do we have to avoid some Arsenal stories because you don’t like them?
Not at all, but you certainly know how to generate hits, which was my point.
I have generated “hits” as you call them by reporting on every single bit of Arsenal news all day and all night. And then allowing my readers to discuss that news.
I agree that I love the “hits” because it means I have done a good job for the last ten years.
Just think of ten years ago when I had 100 visitors a day and still spent all day writing stories about Arsenal before you criticise what I am doing please. I had a vision of bringing all Arsenal fans together to discuss different opinions and I am proud of what I have achieved…
It’s hardly a criticism to point out that a provocative headline is a hits generator ( or even click bait ), and congrats on the ten years.
Okay Jax I can agree on that. And I will say from experience that if you ask any blogger they will say that the headline is everything. Most feeds only show you the headline and a reader will only click on it “clickbait?” The trick to be successful is to have good content underneath the title to keep your readers interested. So although I try to keep my titles as honest as possible, as in “should arsene Wenger return to Arsenal one day” lol. I guess everyone uses “clickbait” as a way of attracting people to your site…
That’s fine, and I suppose it was a bit disingenuous of me to point it out in the first place.
Yes, he should return for the statue ceremony, and then keep going on with his life. He had 2 decades here of great times and not so great times, but think the relationship has ran it’s course. Why force something that is clearly over.
I’m not sure it’s a good idea to try and turn back the clock.
I have enormous admiration for his achievements in football; his ideas about diet etc showed that he was a visionary and the football was scintillating to watch. What can’t be denied is that the later years did not match the early ones.
It is Arteta’s turn for now to hold the reins and to make his mark as part of the younger generation of coaches.
Whilst I would like to think there is a role for AW, I’m not sure what it could be beyond ambassadorial or a seat on the board, much like the Bobby Charlton role at ManU. I’m not sure Arteta (or any other future manager) would relish a role that was intrusive in the day to day running of the squad and to my mind that would be inappropriate
However, watching the likes of Petit, Vieira and Pires to name just three remind me of the glory years the Wenger association brought to Arsenal
Wenger brought great success to this club and made us great for 10 long years. The 12 after was very much a failure, taking this club slowly down. For what he did for this club, he is a legend and like GG let his judgement ruin his success but both are still welcome for adulation at our club whenever they want to grace it. They both had Arsenal in their blood and that was ultimately their downfall but they should be remembered for what they brought, not what they took away. Its another era now and we should remember them for their success now not their failures. Wenger isn’t coming back to this club in any form other than a statue, which he deserves.
Blimey Reggie
I had a tear in my eye!
Ha ha ha Sue P.
As a legend, yes. As a manager, with all due respect, No!
Now now now now ,arteta sidekick to him omg! With the team we have now I’m buzzing and wishing this could be a reality..yes yes yes defo for me